Combined cotton opener and lapper



(No Model.)

A. T. ATHERTON.

COMBINED COTTON OPENER AND LAPPER.

No. 301,848. Patented July 15, 1884.

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* UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE,

ABEL T. ATHERTON, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

I COMBINED COTTON OlPENER A ND LAPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 301,848, dated July 15, 1884. Application filed September 6, 1883. (N0 model.)

pose permits me to employ an evener to even the laps and meanssuch as gridsfor cleaning the cotton as it passes from the opener to the lapper.

My invention is mainly characterized by the combination, with an opener and a lapper of any known or suitable construction, of a trunk leading from the opener to the case which incloses the lap-forming cylinders or cages of the lapper, and doors, one of which closes communication between the lapper-case and the trunk, and the other closes communication between the lap-forming cylinder and the passage leading to the feed mechanism of the lapper. When one of these doors is open the other is closed, and by means of them the cotton from the opener can first be run through the lapper and made into a breaker-lap, and this breaker-lap can be subsequently passed through the same lapper and made into a finisher'lap with entire readiness and ease.

The nature of my invention and the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which is represented in side elevation, partly in section, a lapper and opener combined in' accordance with my invention.

A is a cotton-opener of known or suitable construction for instance, of the lVhitehead & Atherton type, such as illustrated in Letters Patent No. 159,487, dated February 2, 1875. B is a lapper of known or suitable construction-such, for instance, as manufactured and sold by the Whitehead 82; Atherton Machine Company, of the type illustrated in Letters Patent No. 208,353, dated September 24, 1878.

These machines are well known, and I therefore deem it unnecessary to represent in de tail their working parts. or their gearing or driving mechanism. With each machine A B, or with the lapper B alone, if desired,there I per,together with their actuating devices, are so arranged that the feed can be thrown into or out of action without stopping the lap-forming cylinders. These features, however, form in themselves no part of my invention, and, being all well known and understood by those skilled in the art to which my invention relates, do not require further description.

My invention resides, essentially, in the combination, with the lapper and the opener, of the trunk C and the doors or gatesD E. The trunk C leads from thedischarge end of the opener to the case of the lapper, into which it opens at a point where the cotton which passes from. it will be delivered to the lap-forming cylinders of the lapper, (shown by dotted lines at a a.) Communication between the trunk and the interior of the lapper is controlled by door or gate D, hinged or otherwise held in place in the case, so that it can be moved to either open or close the communicating opening, as desired. At E is' another door, which is arranged in a similarmanner to open or close, as desired, the passage lead ing from the feed mechanism of the lapper to and enters the lapper through the passage left open by door D. The cotton in the loose condition to which it is brought by the opener is readily carried through the trunk by the combined action of the opener, whose rotarybeater acts as a blower, and of the lapper, whose rotating lap-forming cages, with suction mechanism connected therewith, act as an exhaust. In the enlarged part of the trunk (indicated Ioo at b)I prefer to place grids, over which the the trunk.

loose cotton passes as it travels along through In, the drawing part of the trunk is broken away to disclose these grids, which are shown in crossscction at 11. dirt and other refuse carried with the cotton into the trunk drop down through these grids and collect on the bottom of the trunk, whence they can be removed through any suitable opening or door provided for the purpose. The cotton, entering the lapper through the open door D, passes to the cages or cylinders a, and thence to the lap-head c, where it is wound up into a lap in the usual way. The lap thus made is a breaker-lap. After the breaker-laps are made by the foregoing operation, the opener A is stopped, the door I) is closed, thus shutting off conununication between the lapper and the trunk O. The door E is opened, and the entire lapper (including feed and evening mechanism) is started. The breaker-laps are then passed through the lapper in the usual way, and are made up into finisher-laps for the cards. Int-his way it will be seen that I am enabled to use but one inaehine for making both breaker and finisher laps, and at the same time to retain an evener to even the laps, and a trunk with grids to clean the cotton, thus retaining all the advantageous features of the most improved con1- bined lappers and openers, while using but Particles of one lapper [or making both breaker and finisher laps.

Having described my improvementsand the best way now known to me of carrying the same into practical effect, what I claim as new and of my invention is- 1. The combination, with the cotton-opener and the lapper, of a communicating trunk leading from the discharge-end of the opener into the case of the, lapper at a point where the loose cotton discharged from it will pass to the lap forming cylinders or cages, and doors or gates, the one for controlling communication between the trunk and the lapper, and the other for opening and closing the passage in the lapper through which the cotton supplied by the lapper feed mechanism passes to the said lap-forming cylinders or cages, substantially as and for the purposes herein before set forth.

combination with opener A, lapper B, and doors l1) 1:], under the arrangement and for operation substantially as hereinbefore set forth. In testimony whereofI have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of August, 1883.

ABEL '1. ATHERTON. lVitnesses:

FRANK COBURN, L. H. BONNER.

4:1 2. The trunk 0, provided with grids, in 

